3 NY Giants who must step up against Panthers in Week 10

While things may not be going the way Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll anticipated for the NY Giants, they had an opportunity to grab a win for the first time in five weeks when they defeated the Seattle Seahawks on the road in dramatic fashion.

This time, the Giants will travel to Munich, Germany, to take on the underwhelming Carolina Panthers at Allianz Arena, home to FC Bayern Munich and the German national football team.

While this is a winnable game for Big Blue, and the Giants will be the favorites to win, they can't take anything lightly because of how some of the last few close games have gone for them. The Giants will need all hands on deck to secure the win on Sunday and expect their offense and defense to bring their game.

That said, here are three Giants players who must step up against the Carolina Panthers in Week 10:

3 New York Giants players who must play well this week against the Panthers in Germany

RB Tyrone Tracy Jr

The Carolina Panthers have had the worst rush defense in the league this year, allowing the most rushing yards (1,434) and touchdowns (15) to opposing running backs.

This presents a significant opportunity for rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr to step up against the Panthers and help the Giants get back in the win column, which they haven't done since Week 5 against the Seahawks.

Since the Giants' Week 5 victory over the Seahawks, Tracy Jr had 77 carries, 413 yards, and two touchdowns. In the Giants' Week 8 Monday Night Football loss to the Steelers, the 2024 fifth-rounder rushed for 145 yards on 20 carries and had a 45-yard fourth-quarter touchdown. He has been more productive in New York's backfield than Devin Singletary since he took over for the veteran when he was sidelined with a hamstring injury in Weeks 5 and 6.

WR Malik Nabers

Sticking with impressive rookies, Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers has continued to perform well offensively despite the team’s inconsistent performance week by week. Although the 2024 first-round pick has just three touchdowns on the season, he has become a favorite target of quarterback Daniel Jones. Jones has targeted the rookie 84 times this season, leading all Giants pass catchers and tying for second among all receivers in the league alongside Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb, behind only Jets wideout Garrett Wilson.

Nabers ranks third in the league in receptions, with 55 catches in his rookie campaign, and has totaled 557 yards, placing him 15th in the NFL.

While Nabers has been extremely impressive and has given the Giants a spark on offense, we still may have yet to get a full glimpse of what the 21-year-old can accomplish at this level. That said, we'll need No. 1 to continue to exceed expectations and take advantage of a weak Carolina Panthers secondary.

We can expect Nabers to be matched up with Panthers defensive back Jaycee Horn on Sunday, which may be challenging for the rookie but should provide for a competitive battle. The Giants will rely on Nabers to win this matchup and help the team get back in the win column.

CB Deonte Banks

Giants second-year defensive back Deonte Banks has had a nightmare season. It started three weeks ago against the Eagles when he was called out for a lack of effort and hustle on a Jalen Hurts third-down 16-yard scramble. The following week against Pittsburgh, Banks was benched to start the game due to poor play and effort issues, but unfortunately, it kept getting worse for the former first-rounder.

Last week against the Commanders, Banks was torched for two more touchdowns, both from Washington receiver Terry McLaurin. Banks now leads the league in touchdowns allowed, as he has allowed six touchdowns in nine games this year. If the Giants want to win this Sunday, they'll need Banks to be much better and step up.

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